The present invention relates to a cover for enclosing equipment in a watertight fashion while permitting operation of the equipment. Particularly, the present invention is directed to a cover that enables the enclosed equipment to be easily transported and operated, and that includes an entry that is both watertight and easy to seal and reseal.
Weatherproof equipment cases are well known and have been available for a number of years. These equipment cases have been widely used in commercial applications such as cinematography, and professional photography, as well as in recreational applications.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,033,392 discloses an embodiment of a known weatherproof camera case. In this embodiment, the camera case includes a sealable opening through which the camera may be inserted for enclosure in the case. The case further includes a second opening in the camera case positioned such that when a camera is enclosed, the second opening is adjacent the area on the body of the camera that receives a lens. When the camera body is enclosed within the case, the camera lens extends into the second opening and may be attached to both the camera body and second opening such that the lens extends exteriorly of the case and is exposed to the environment.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,982,841 discloses a protective envelope for a video camera. The protective envelope is loosely constructed to partially conform to various camera shapes, and includes a front window through which the camera lens can receive images for filming. Disposed inside of the protective envelope, below the front window, is a supporting device and spacer to which a camera may be mounted. The protective envelope when draped over a camera provides space between portions of the camera body and the front window. The supporting device and spacer are used to adjust the distance between the front window and the camera auto focus system.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,036,506 discloses a camera for underwater photography. In this embodiment, the case loosely surrounds the camera. The case is flexible to permit manual manipulation of camera elements while a camera is enclosed in the case. The case, however, is amply sized to accommodate one or more cameras and therefore can impede operation of the enclosed camera and increases the likelihood of severe mishandling such as dropping. A transparent window is fastened in a leak-proof manner to one end of the case. The opposite end of the case is open so that the camera may be inserted and removed therefrom. The open end may be sealed with a clamp to protect against water leakage.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,285,894, 5,325,139 and 4,882,600 each disclose camera cases for underwater picture taking. However, each of these patents is directed to camera cases that are not resealable by the end-user for repeated use after all of the enclosed camera""s film has been exposed.
In view of the above, there remains a need for a water-impermeable equipment case that completely encloses a piece of equipment, that permits operation of the enclosed equipment""s operable features, that substantially conforms to the shape of the equipment, so that the cover does not gather, bunch, or otherwise substantially impede the operation and handling of the enclosed equipment, and that is sealable and resealable by the end-user.
The purpose and advantages of the invention will be set forth in and apparent from the description and drawings that follow below, as well as will be learned by practice of the invention. Additional advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the elements of the apparatus particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, a watertight equipment cover is provided for enclosing a piece of equipment while permitting operation of the enclosed equipment. Particularly, the present invention includes a housing that substantially corresponds to the shape and configuration of the equipment and that includes a resealable entry for inserting and removing the equipment. In this manner, the equipment cover of the present invention provides a protective cover for outdoor and marine use of electronic apparatuses, such as portable telephones, mobile computers, and photographic equipment.
In the present invention, the housing includes an inner surface and an outer surface. The inner surface defines an interior chamber for receiving the equipment, and is configured to substantially correspond to the shape of the equipment such that when the equipment is enclosed in the housing, the interior surface of the housing is substantially adjacent to the exterior surface of the equipment.
For simplicity of explanation, the discussion of a preferred embodiment is primarily directed to an equipment cover for a camera and portable telephone. In a preferred embodiment, the housing consists of a front and a back piece. The front piece includes a front face and four side walls. The back piece includes a back face and four side walls. The front and back pieces join together at the corresponding side walls such that the inner surfaces of the front and back faces, and the eight side walls define the interior chamber. Preferably, the housing is constructed generally of a flexible, waterproof polymer such as transparent polyurethane.
The housing of the present invention further includes resiliently deformable portions formed in one or more walls. The resiliently deformable portions are located at positions in the one or more walls such that when the equipment is enclosed within the housing, the resiliently deformable portions are located substantially adjacent to and allow operation of the operable features of the equipment. The operable features are those control features located in the surface of the equipment that must be manipulated by an operator to operate the equipment. Where necessary, to aid the operator in using the equipment, the resiliently deformable portions may have indications, such as letters or numbers corresponding to an enclosed keypad, imprinted or overlaid thereon using conventional or other appropriate techniques. Alternatively, the resiliently deformable portions may be transparent or semi-transparent if the corresponding operable features of the equipment must be seen by the operator.
For example, in the case of a camera, the operable features are those control features located in the camera exterior that are needed to take photographs. In a preferred embodiment, when a camera is enclosed in the case, the resiliently deformable portions are located substantially adjacent the camera shutter control button and the camera flash control switch. The resiliently deformable portions also may be positioned substantially adjacent the camera film advance wheel, film rewind button or the like.
The housing of a preferred embodiment of the present invention further includes transparent portions. The transparent portions are positioned in one or more housing walls substantially adjacent to the viewer areas of the equipment that either must be seen by an operator or must transmit or receive light through the housing to operate properly. In the case of a camera, the transparent portions are positioned such that when a camera is enclosed in the housing, the light-receiving, picture-taking features in the camera""s exterior surface, such as the camera lens, may operate in a substantially unhindered fashion. Preferably, the housing for a camera includes at least three transparent portions. Two transparent portions are located in the front face of the housing and one transparent portion is located in the back face of the housing. The transparent portions are configured and positioned so that when a camera is enclosed: one of the transparent portions in the front face is substantially adjacent to and allows substantially unhindered operation of the camera lens, the other transparent portion in the front face is substantially adjacent to and allows substantially unhindered operation of the camera flash, and the transparent portion in the back face is substantially adjacent to and allows substantially unhindered operation of the camera viewfinder.
For a portable telephone or mobile computer, at least one transparent portion is configured and positioned to correspond to an enclosed view screen. Preferably, additional transparent portions are configured and positioned to be substantially adjacent to the equipment""s viewer areas, such as a keypad or keyboard, that the operator must see to operate. In this manner, some of the operable features and some of the viewer areas of the equipment may be one and the same, and correspondingly, the resiliently deformable portions and the transparent portions may comprise some of the same portions of the housing.
The housing of the present invention further includes a housing entry. The housing entry includes a resealable, watertight sealing mechanism. The sealing mechanism is operable between open and closed positions. When the sealing mechanism is in the open position, the interior chamber may be exposed to receive the equipment.
In the camera cover of a preferred embodiment, the sealing mechanism, preferably a zipper, is disposed along the housing entry, so that (1) when the sealing mechanism is in the closed position, the housing is sealed in a watertight manner; and (2) when the sealing mechanism is in the open position, the housing may be opened such that the front face and back face lay in the same plane. However, as described in more detail below, a wide variety of sealing mechanisms may be used to seal the watertight equipment cover of the present invention.
The housing entry of a preferred embodiment includes two sealing flaps, each disposed along an opposite edge of the housing entry. The sealing flaps are located in close proximity to and interiorly of the sealing mechanism. The sealing flaps are positioned so that when the sealing mechanism is in the closed position, the edges of one sealing flap engage the laterally opposite edges of the other sealing flap. In this manner, both the sealing mechanism and the engaged sealing flaps create a barrier to water penetration.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and are provided for purposes of explanation only, and are not restrictive of the invention as claimed.